Door opening device



i May 21, 1940. R. l. SCHONITZER 2,201,208

- noon OPENING DEVICE Filed Au 21, 19:59 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RUDOLPH Z SCflO/V/TZER Y May 21, 1940. R. I. SCHONITZER DOOR OPENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1939 4 Sheets-Shea! 2 fiuoouwl ScwomrzE/P BY R. l. SCII-IONITZER 2,201,208

noon ornunie DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheeti INVENTOR. fiuooLPfi I Selim/ 725R May 21, 1940. R. I. SCHONITZEVR DOOR OPENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENT OR. RUDOLPH Z SCHONITZEI? man May 21, 1940 TD STATES PATENT orrlcs 20 Claims.

This invention relates to door opening devices, the present devices being especially adapted for use with automobile doors or the like and being effective, upon the unlatching of such doors, to automatically open said doors to any desired extent-4o their fully open positions, if desired.

As will hereinafter more fully appear, door opening devices embodying the present invention may be, and preferably are, of such construction and of such compact form that they are entirely concealed from view when the doors with which they are used are in their closed positions, and are exposed to only a very limited extent when such doors are in their fully open positions. As a result, the use of such door opening devices with present-day automobiles-wherein appearance is a very important factor--is not only possible but practical and eminently desirable.

Another feature of door opening devices embodying the present invention is that they make unnecessary the use of separate means for releasably retaining in open condition the doors with which the present devices are used, as the present devices yieldingly resist (but only to a proper degree) the closing of such doors beyond the positions to which said doors have been automatically opened by such. devices. Therefore, if an automobile door or the like is fully opened by one of the present door opening devices, such door will be releasably retained by such device in such fully open position, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Although door opening devices embodying the present invention may be used with doors hav ing projecting handles or the like for actuating the latch means of said doors (handles which also are used in the manuai opening of such doors), the use of the present door opening devices makes wholly unnecessary the use of such handles for door opening purposes. As a result, doors with which are used the present door opening devices may have simple push buttons or. the

like (desirable from many standpoints) for the actuation of the latch means of such-doors, as the opening of such doors-to any extent desired-will automatically be effected by the present devices upon the unlatching of said doors.

Other features of door opening devices embodying the present invention are their structural simplicity, which enables them to be made and sold at low cost; their strong and rugged character, which enables them to have an exceedingly long life in service, without requiring attention from time to time; and the eificiency with which they perform their door opening (a left front door), Fig. 1 being an outside elevation of such a door and adjacent portions of the automobile body with which it is associated, said door being in closed position and being latched in such position by control mechanism embodying the invention of my prior United States Patent No. 2,094,413 for Door control mechanism; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through said door and through adjacent portions of the automobile body, the .view being on the line 2-2, Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 3 is an outside elevation corresponding to Fig. 1 (as viewed for clearness of illustration from the line 3-3, Fig-'2, which line is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the automobile body), said view being on a larger scale and of fragmentary form, with parts of the outer side walls of the door and adjacent body portions broken away to illustrate the door opening device and the aforesaid door control mechanism; Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view of the door holding device as mounted within a portion of the automobile body, the view being on the lined-d, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, 'but with the door in the fully open' position to which it has been automatically swung by such door opening device;

Fig. 6 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 5 but showing a door opening device in which one of the abutment means for the spring thereof is so located that said device is efiective to automatically swing only to a partially open position, indicated by full lines, the door with which such device is used, further opening movement of said door (such as to its fully open position indicated by dot-dash lines) being manually effected;

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 arev detail views illustrating a door opening device in which no adjusting means for the spring thereof is utilized, Fig. 'I being a front elevation of such device, as viewed from the line 'l7i, Fig. 8; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of such device, as viewed from the line 8-8, Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of such device, as viewed from the line 9-9, Fig. 8;

Figs. 10 and 11 are views illustrating a door opening device in which the projecting bracket arm isi provided with a roller for engagement with the oscillatory spring arm, Fig. 10 being :1 horizontal sectional view (somewhat similar to Figs. 2, 5 and 6) on the line Ill-40, Fig. 11, with the closed position of the'door indicated in' full lines and with two open positions of the door indicated in dot-dash lines; and Fig. 11 is a detail vertical sectional view of this particular door opening device, the view being on the line I I l l Fig. 10; and

Figs. 12 and13 illustrate a reverse arrangement of the parts of a door: opening device embodying the present invention, Fig. 12 being a view (somewhat similar to Fig. 10) on the line l2.-l2, Fig. 13; and Fig. 13 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line l3l3, Fig. 12.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to be understood that such invention is not limited to the details of construction or the specific arrangements of parts herein illustrated or described, as the invention obviously may take other forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, there being no intention and no desire to limit the present. invention, as herein disclosed and as defined in the appended claims, beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Although door opening devices embodying the present invention are applicable for use with the doors of various structures, the present door opening devices, as heretofore pointed out, are particularly useful with the doors of automobiles or the like, and for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, used several of such devices with present-day automobile-doors-doors of hollow, sheet metal form-is here shown and described.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be noted that the left front automobile door I I there shown has associated therewith one form of door opening device embodying the present invention, said door having its transverse front edge wall 2 suitably hinged, as is usual, on the transverse rear edge wall 3 of that portion of the automobile bodyindicated'generally by the reference numeral 4. When the door I is in its closed position (see Fig. 2, for example), the door and body edge walls 2 and 3 (which edge walls are hereinafter termed hinge edge walls) are in generally abutting relationship, by which is meant that such hinge edge walls are oppositely disposed and close to each other, although they may not be-and are not here shown-in actual contact. Because of the outside curvatures which are given to present-day automobile bodies,

including the turn-under on the sides-of which bodies the one fragmentarily shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is typical (see Figs. 2 and 4, for example)the upper hinge 5 for the door I is here shown as of the concealed, ball-and-socket type and the lower hinge 6 for such door is here shown as of the exposed, cylindrical pintle type. As a result of such combination of hinges, the door hinging axis a:-11, shown in Figs. 1 and 4, is located partly outside and partly inside the automobile body portion 4. as will be readily understood.

Although any suitable means may be utilized for releasably retainingthe door I. in its closed position (the position of said door in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive) and for actuating said retaining means (hereinafter referred to broadly as "latch means) to release said door for opening movement, devices embodying the present invention are particularly useful in conjunction with latch means having push buttons or the like for effecting release actuation thereof. Projecting handlesby the use of which present-day automobile doors are still manually opened-are not only dangerous (in that many severe injuries have been caused by them) but also, said projecting handles seriously interfere with the streamlining effects now desired for automobile bodies. Inasmuch as a door opening device embodying the present invention automatically effects, upon the unlatching of the door with which it is used, the opening of said door to any desired extent-to a fully open position, if desiredthe use of the present-day handles for such a door is wholly unnecessary. As a result, simple push buttons or the like, desirable from many standpoints, rather than projecting handles, may be used with the latch means of a door with which is used an opening device of the character here involved.

The latch means of the automobile door I of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is therefore ofthe type in which push buttons or the like are utilized for effecting release actuation thereof. Specifically, and for purposes of illustration only, said latch means is of the form disclosed in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,094,413 for Door control mechanism, to which patent reference may be had for those details of construction not here shown or described.

For the purposes of this application, it is sufficient to state that the latch means of the automobile door I, as here shown, includes a latch pin 1 suitably secured to the transverse front edge wall 8 (hereinafter termed the latch edge wall) of the automobile body center pillar 9. Cooperating with such latch pin, fordoor latching purposes, is an oscillatory latch arm 10, the member ll of which said latch arm is a part being rigidly mounted upon a stub shaft l2 suitably journalled in the transverse rear edge wall I3 (hereinafter termed the latch edge wall) of the door I. During the final part of the movement of said door to its closed position, the

latch arm I0 is oscillated or swung to a position' back of or behind the latch/v pin 1 on the body pillar 9, and is releasably held in such latching position by suitable detent means not here shown but which is fully illustrated and described in my aforesaid patent.

For the release actuation of the latch means of the door I, when opening movement of such door is desired, inside and outside push buttons or the like are preferably utilized, as in the mechanisms of my aforesaid patent, it being essential, of course, that the door of a closed type automobile be capable of being opened from both inside and outside such automobile. In the accompanying drawings, however, an outside push button only is illustrated for effecting release actuation of the latch means of the door I, said push button, indicated by the reference numeral l4, being suitably mounted on the outer side wall [5 of said door adjacent the detent means (not shown) for the latch arm Hi. If desired, refel'ence to my aforesaid patent may be had for a full disclosure of the manner in which an inside push button or the like may be mounted Aswill be readily understood, manual depression of either the outside push button H or the inside push button or the like (not here shown) for thle latch means of the door I will effect, when such door is in its closed position, release actuation of the latch detent means and the resulting oscillation of the latch arm Ill to its nonlatching position, with the consequent release of said door for opening movement.

If desired and as here shown, the latch means of the automobile door I may have associated therewith a throw-out arm of the character disclosed in my aforesaid patent, the function of such a throw-out arm being to automatically open the door I a limited extent upon the unlatching of said door. The use, however, of such a throw-out arm with a present-day automobile door, which is relatively heavy, cannot effect the opening of such a door beyond a very limited extent. As further opening movement of such a door is desirable-and many would prefer to have automobile doors automatically opened their maximum extent--the use of a door opening device embodying the present invention is necessary, as such devices can easily effect, as will hereinafter appear, the full opening of the doors with which they are used.

So far as a description of the present throwout arm I! (see Fig, 5) is concerned, it is sufficient to state that said arm is carried by the member II, of which the latch arm Ill is a part, said latch and throw-out arms being disposed in generally parallel relation and being spaced apart a sufficient distance to receive therebetween the latch pin 1. When the door I is in its closed position, the latch arm it extends downwardly along the inner side of said latch pin, as heretofore referred to (the door as a consequence being latched in such closed position), and the throw-out arm il extends downwardly along the outer side of said latch pin, in a position to effect, through its engagement with said latch pin, limited opening movement of the door I upon unlatching thereof, as will be readily understood and as disclosed in detail in my aforcsaid patout.

When the automobile door I is in its closed position, the bifurcated member ll (of which the latch and throw-out arms Iii and ii are parts) preferably rests upon the latch pin 1, and as a result, said door is desirably held against downward movement relative to the surrounding frame structure of the automobile body. In order to also hold said door, when in its closed position, against upward movement relative to the surroundingbody frame, a suitable take-up member, such as the spring actuated wedge l8, Fig. 3, may be mounted upon the latch vedge wall 8 of the body center pillar ii for cooperation with the bifurcated member i l, a construction which is fully disclosed in my'prior United States Patent No. 2,156,874 for Door holding and door control mechanism, to which patent reference may be had, if desired, for further details of the means by which the door I is held against up and down movement when,

in its closed position.

Referring now to the several door opening devices here illustrateddevices which embody the present invention and which are capable of automatically swinging relatively heavy doors, such as present-day automobile doors, to any desired openpositions, including their fully open positions-it will be noted thatsuch devices are of simple and inexpensive character, and of such compact form that they may be easily and conveniently mounted between the general planes of the side walls of an automobile door and the general planes of the side walls of that portion of the automobile body upon which said door is hinged, there being substantial or .more or less alignment of the outer side walls of said door and body portion, and substantial or more or less alignment of the inner side walls of said door and body portion, when said door is in its closed position, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. As a result, the present door opening devices not only are eminently satisfactory from structural and functional standpoints but also, are commercially practical for present-day automobile doors, as such devices are entirely concealed from view when the doors with which they are used are in their closed positions; and even when such doors are in their fully open positions, said devices are exposed to such a limited extent as to be unnoticeable.

Although door opening devices embodying the present invention may take various forms, each of the door opening devices here illustrated comprises a self-contained spring unit, the parts of which (including a partially "loaded springa torsional spring, as here shown) are capable of being easily and conveniently assembled before the association of such unit with an automobile door or with that portion of an automobile body upon which said door is hinged.

As stated above, several forms of door opening devices embodying the present invention are here illustrated, and the door opening device of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive will now be specifically described, after which the distinguishing features of the other door opening devices here illustrated will be referred to.

Although the self-contained spring unit of the device of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive may be associated with the hollow, sheet metal automobile door I, adjacent its hinge edge wall 2 and between its outer and inner side walls It and it (or between the general planes of such side walls-planes which include but extend beyond said actual side wallsl-in which association the spring of such unit would be effective for door opening purposes upon the automobile body portion t in the region of its hinge edge wall 3-, said spring unit is here shown as mounted within, and thereby associated with, the hollow, sheet metal automobile body portion d, between its outer side wall 20 and its inner side wall it, and adjacent .its hinge edge wall it, the disposition of said hinge edge wall being transverse or crosswise relative to such side walls, as is usual. As thus mounted, the spring of said unit cooperates with or is effective, for door opening purposes, upon the door l in the region of its hinge edge wall 2, as will hereinafter appear.

As here shown, the spring unit of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive comprises a torsion spring 22, of helical form, said spring being carried by a generally C-shaped bracket 23, of sheet metal or the like. Extending through the coils of such spring is a pintle 2d, the unthreaded upper end portion 25 of which (see Fig. 3) extends through an unthreaded aperture in a rearwardly extending flange 26 with which the upper leg 21 of the bracket 23 is provided, and the threaded lower end portion 28 of said pintle extends through an unthreaded aperture in a rearwardly extending flange 29 with which the lower leg 30 of said bracket is provided. Threaded upon the lower end portion-Z8 of said pintle and lying on opposite sides of the rearwardly extending, lower bracket flange 29 are two clamping nuts 3| and 32, by means of which the plntle is securely maintained in assembly with the bracket 23. In order to "anchor or hold in the desired position the lower end portion 33 of the torsion spring 22, the upper clamping nut 3| is here provided with an upstanding abutment 34 for engagement by such spring end portion, and by varying the angular position of said clamping nut abutment, the "loaded" condition of the torsion spring 22 may be readily varied, as desired. Any suitable means may be provided, of course, for the purpose of enabling the pintle 24 to be held against rotary movement during adjustment of the abutment-carrying clamping nut 3|, such as the screw driver slot 35 in the lower end of said pintle, it being understood that clockwise adjustment (Fig. 2) of said clamping nut 3i effects a further loading of the torsion spring 22.

In order to limit oscillatory movement in a door opening direction of the upper end portion 36 of the torsion spring 22 (which end portion is the door opening arm of said spring), the rearwardly extending flange 26 of the bracket 23 is here provided with a depending abutment 31, and by merely varying the location of that abutment, the door opening effect of the spring arm 36 may be readily varied and controlled, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Although the bracket 23 of the spring unit of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive may be mounted within the hollow, sheet metal automobile body portion 4 in any suitable manner and by any suitable means, said bracket is here bolted, as at 40, to the transversely disposed, rearwardly inclined wall 41 of a sheet metal pillar 42 with which said body portion 4 is provided. As here shown, said bracket lies alongside the front surf face of said pillar wall and the torsion spring 22 carried by said bracket is disposed at the rear of said wail, there being a suitable opening in such wall through which extend the rearwardly projecting bracket flanges 26 and 23.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the torsion spring 22 of the spring unit of Figs. 1 to 5 in-- elusive is disposed at an angle to the general plane of its supporting bracket 23, with the result that the axis 0-11 of said spring (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) is more or less vertical when such bracket is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the rearwardly inclined body pillar wall 4|. As heretofore pointed out, the inwardly inclined hinge axis a:-y of the automobile door I lies partly outside and partly inside the body portion 4, and as clearly shown in Fig. 4, the torsion spring 22 is so mounted within said body portion that its axis a.--b intersects the door hinge axis .r-y at the center of oscillatory move v ment of the door opening spring arm 36, the advantage of such an arrangement being hereinafter referred to. I

In order to enable the spring arm 36 to cooperate with or to be efiective upon the automobile door I, for door opening purposes, a suitable opening 44 is provided in the hinge edge wall 3 of the automobile body portion 4 adjacent said spring arm- If desired and as will be readily understood, the spring arm 36 may be of such length as to project through said body hinge edge wall opening 44 for direct engagement, for door opening purposes, with the hinge edge wall 2 of said door or with an adjacent portion thereof, or in other words, with said door in the region of its hinge edge wall. As here shown, said spring arm engages, for door opening purposes, suitable projecting means with which the door I is provided, such as the projecting arm 46 of a bracket 46. Although said bracket 46 may be secured to any suitable portion of said door, such as to either of its side walls l5 and I6, it is here shown as being screwed or otherwise rigidly secured to the hinge edge wall 2 ofsaid door, the arm 45 of said bracket being in alignment with, and extending at all times through, the body hinge edge wall opening 44.

As indicated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the bifurcated front end of the door bracket arm 45 is in engagement at all times with the spring arm 36, and during the movement of the door I to itsclosed position, said spring arm is moved by said door, through its bracket arm 45, to what is here termed its operative position, which is the position of said spring arm in Figs. 1 to 4 inelusive. When in its operative position, the spring arm 36 is effective to automatically produce, upon the unlatching of the door I, the desired opening movement of said door, the torsion spring 22, when its door opening arm 36 is in such operative position, being in its fully loaded condition, although as heretofore pointed out, additional loading of said spring can be readily effected by proper adjustment of the abutment 34 for the lower end portion 33 oi said spring.

Because of the particular location of the abutment 37 for the door openingspring arm- 36, said spring arm is efiective to automatically bring about the movementof the door I to its fully open position, as in Fig. 5, a position of said door which is, of course, determined and controlled by the door checking device (not shown). with which said door, like all present-day automobile doors, is provided. In order to enable the door I to be automatically moved to its fully open position by the spring arm 36 (and without making the body edge wall opening 44 of undue width), and to enable the door bracket arm 45 to most effectively cooperate with said spring arm-in the oscillation of said spring arm to its operative position, as well as in the oscillation of said spring arm therefrom for door opening purposes-said door bracket arm is of generally arcuate form, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Inasmuch as the center of oscillatory movement of thespring arm 36 is located on or substantially on the hinge axis :c-y of thedoor I. as heretofore mentioned, no slippage in the engagement of said spring arm with the door bracket arm 45 occurs, and as a result, there is no liability of objectionable noise or of undue wear.

Aswill be readily understood, the velocity with which the door I is automatically opened by the oscillatory arm 36 of the torsion spring 22 is determined by the construction and character of such spring and the degree to which it is loaded, the latter beingcontrolled, of course,

by the position of the anchored" lower end portion 33 of said spring. The extent to which said door is automatically opened, however, is determined, as heretofore pointed out, by the location of the abutment 31 for the door opening spring arm 36, it being understood, of course, that the fully open position of said door is determined by the checking device (not here shown but well known in the automotive art) with which such door is provided.

As indicated in Fig. 5, and as heretofore pointed out, the location of the abutment 31 for the spring arm' 36 of the door opening device of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is such that said arm is eiiective to automatically open the door I to its fully open position. Although such abutment 31 may be made adjustable in character, to thereby enable its location to be varied, with a consequent variation in the extent to which the door I is automatically opened, a change from the initial location of such abutment ordinarily would not be needed or desired. In practice, each automobile manufacturer would select the particular position to which the doors of its automobiles are to be automatically opened, and in the door opening devices as initially made for that manufacturer, the abutments for the door opening spring arms of such devices would be so located as to obtain the desired degree of automatic door opening movement.

In the door opening device illustrated in Fig. 6, therefore, the depending abutment 31a for the door opening spring arm 36a is initially so located that such spring arm is capable of automatically swinging the automobile door Ia only to a partially open position, the full line position of said door in Fig. 6. Further opening movement of said door is manually effected, the door bracket arm 65a moving away from the spring arm 36a during such further openin'g movement, as indicated in dotted lines. In other respects, the door opening device of Fig. 6 is the same as the door openingdevlce of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and no further reference, therefore, to the device of Fig. 6 need be made.

It is, of course, not essential that means (such as the abutment-carrying clamping nut 3!, for example) be provided for varying the degree to which the torsion spring 22 of the deviceof Figs. 1' to 5, inclusive, is "loaded", as such spring can be initially made of the desired strength for the door opening purpose here involved. In the door opening device illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, therefore (and also in the door opening devices oi'Figs. and 11 and Figs. 12 and 13), no means is provided for varying the location of the lower end portion 33b of the helical torsional spring 2%, and hence, for varying the degree to which such springis loaded". As best shown in Fig. 7, the lower end portion 33b of such spring merely engages, for the "anchoring" thereof, an upstanding abutment flange it with which the lower leg it? of the spring supporting bracket 2% is integrally or .othe suitably provided. Inasmuch as the other parts of the door opening device of Figs. 7 to "9 inclusive are of the same character and operate in the same manner as the corresponding parts of the door opening device of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, no further description oi? the door opening device of Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive is here necessary.

As heretofore pointed out, in the door opening device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the center of oscillation of the door opening spring arm 3b is located on or substantially on the hinge axis :r-y of the automobile door i with which such device is used, said hinge axis being partly inside and partly outside the automobile body portion t (within which is mounted the self-cohtained spring unit of such device) as the result of the combination of hinges by which said door is mounted on said body portion, there being an upper hinge of concealed form and a lower hinge of exposed form.

The automobile door Id of Figs. 10 and 11, however, is mounted on the automobile body portion dd by exposed hinges 53, with the result that the wholly outside said body portion 4d, within which is mounted the sell-contained spring unit of the device which is used with such door for effecting automatic opening thereof. As a result, the center of oscillatory movement of the door opening spring arm 36d of this particular door opening device cannot be located on or substantially on the door hinge axis d--d. In order to avoid, however, objectionable noise, etc. which otherwise would occur from the relativemovement oi the inter-engaging spring arm 38:! and the door bracket arm 45d, such inter-engagement may be effected through rollable means, and as here shown. the bifurcated free end portion of said bracket arm is provided with a suitable roller 65 for engagement with such spring arm. As a result, although the bracket arm roller 55 travels an appreciable distance along said spring arm 36d during opening and closing movements of the door Id (,said roller being at substantially the free end of said spring arm when said door is in its more or less fully open position, indicated by dot-dash lines, Fig, 10, and said roller'being some distance from such end of said spring arm when said door is in the partially open position indicated by dot-dash lines, Fig. 10), there is no resulting noise or other attendant objections, all as will be readily understood.

Although the self-contained spring units of the door opening devices illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, in Fig. 6, and in Figs. 10 and 11 are mounted within the automobile body portions upon which are hinged the doors to be automatically opened by such devices, said spring units may, if desired, be mounted within or otherwise associated with such doors between the general planes of the side walls thereof, as heretofore pointed out and as will be readily understood.

For the purpose of illustrating such a reversal of parts, however, the self-contained spring unit of the door opening device of Figs. 12 and 13 is mounted within the automobile door Ie, the opening of which door is to be automatically eiiected by such device. As shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the generally C-shaped bracket 23e of the spring unit of this particular door opening device is screwed or otherwise rigidly secured to the hinge edge wall 2e oi the door Ia, and the hinge edge wall se of the automobile body portion to has screwed or otherwise rigidly secured thereto a suitable bracket, the rearwardly extending arm ite of which projects through a suitable open-' ing Me with which the door hinge edge wall is is provided.

. substantially on the door hinge axis. In order to avoid, therefore, objectionable noise, etc. as the result of the relative movement of said spring arm and the body bracket arm 45c, during opening and closing movements of the door le, either the door opening spring arm 36c or, as here shown, the bifurcated free end of the bracket arm 5e (like that of the door bracket arm 45d of the device of Figs. 10 and 11) is provided with a suitable roller the for engagement with said spring arm. As the arrangement of the parts of hinge axis d-d (see Fig. 11) of the door id is the door opening device of Figs. 12 and 13 is subparts of the door opening devices heretofore described, no furtherreference to the door opening device of Figs, -12 and 13 is believed to be necessary. I

From all of the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that the present door opening devices are especially adapted for use with present-day automobile doors, and particularly with those doors having push buttons or the like for the latch means thereof; that such devices are of simple and inexpensive construction and of strong and durable character; that such devices efiect in an exceedingly efficient manner the opening of the doors with which they arerused to any desired extent; and that such devices make unnecessary the use of separate means for releasably retaining against undesired closing the doors with which such devices are used, as the door opening spring arms of such devices yieldingly resist (but only to a proper degree) the closing of such doors beyond the positions to which they have been automatically opened by the present devices.

Further features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which is relates.

What I claim is:

1. A device for automatically opening a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that when said door structure is in such closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, said device comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, a pintle carried by said bracket, a helical torsion spring surrounding said pintle, spaced abutments associated with said bracket and engageable by the end portions of said spring for limiting oscillatory movement thereof, said spring being in partially loaded condition when its end portions are in engagement with said abutments, one of said spring end portions being oscillatable in a direction from its abutment to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring being loaded" to a greater degree when its last mentioned end portion is in such operative position, said last mentioned spring end portion, when in its operative position, being efiective upon the other of said structures in the region of the hinge edge wall thereof and being capable of swinging said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

2. A device for automatically opening a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that when said door structure is in such closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, said kievice comprising a generally C-shaped bracket adapted to be secured to one of said structures between the general planes of its side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, a pintle carried by the spaced leg portions of said bracket, a helical torsion spring surrounding said pintle, oscillatory movement of the end portions of said spring being limited by the engagement thereof with said bracket leg portions, the end portions of said spring being in partially loaded condition when its end portions are in engagement with said bracket leg portions and one of said spring end portions being oscillatable in a direction from its bracket leg portion to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring being stantially a reversal of the arrangement of the "loaded" to a greater degreewhen its last mentioned end portion is in such operative position, and said last mentioned spring end portion, when in its operative position, being effective upon the other of said structures in the region of its hinge edge wall to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

3. A device for automatically opening a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that when said door structure is in such closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, said device comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to one of said structures between the general planes of its two sidewalls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, a pintle carried by said bracket, a helical torsion spring surrounding said pintle, abutment means adjustably mounted on said pintle and engageable by one of the two end portions of said spring, the other end portion of said spring being engageable with abutment means with which said bracket is provided, said spring being in partially loaded" condition when its end portions are in engagement with said two abutment means, one of said spring end portions being oscillatable in a direction from its abutment means to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring being loaded" to a greater degree when its last mentioned end portion'is in such operative position, said last mentioned spring end portion, when in its operative position, being effective upon the other of said structures to swing the closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

' 4. A device for automatically opening a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that when said door structure is in such closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, said device 7 comprising bracket means adapted to be secured to one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, a torsion spring carried by said bracket means and having an oscillatory arm, and projecting means adapted to be carried by the other of said structures and having a bifurcated portion for engagement with the oscillatory arm of said spring, said spring arm being oscillatable to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring arm being eflective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

5. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position thetransverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a projecting portion carried by one of said structures adjacent the hinge edge wall thereof, the hinge edge wall of said other structure having an opening therein for the extension therethrough of said projecting portion, and a torsion spring mounted within said last mentioned structure and having an oscillatory arm adjacent the opening in the hinge edge wall thereof for engagement with said projecting portion, said spring .arm being oscillatable to an operative positionduring the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring arm being effective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

6. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting struc-- ture that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a projecting portion carried by one of said structures adjacent the hinge edge wall thereof and being provided with rollable means, the hinge edge wall of said other structure having an opening therein for the extension therethrough of said projecting portion, and a torsion spring mounted within said last mentioned structure and having an oscillatory arm adjacent the opening in the hinge edge wall thereof for engagement with the rollable means of said projecting portion, said spring arm being oscillatable to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring arm being effective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

7. In combination with a door structure and asupporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, projecting means carried by one of said structures, the hinge edge wall of said otherstructure having an opening therein for the extension therethrough of said projecting means, and a torsion spring mounted within said last mentioned structure and having oscillatory means adjacent the opening in the hinge edge wall thereof, one of said two means having a rollable member for engagement with the other of said means, said spring oscillatory means being oscillatable to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring oscillatory means being effective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

8. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting-relationship, projecting means carried by one of said structures adjacent the hinge edge wall thereof and having a substantially fixed projecting relationship with respect to such hinge edge wall, the hinge edge wall of said other structure having an opening therein for the extension therethrough of said projecting means, and spring means mounted within said last mentioned structure adjacent the opening in the hinge edge wall thereof for engagement with said projecting means, said spring means being put in the desired loaded condition during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring means being efiective when in such loaded condition to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

N a, In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a torsion spring mounted within one of said structures adjacent the hinge edge wall thereof, said last mentioned hinge edge wall having an opening therein and said spring having an oscillatory arm adjacent d opening and efiective through structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a torsion spring carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall and having an arm oscillatable transversely of the general planes of such side walls, said oscillatory spring arm being effective upon the hinge edge wall of the other of said structures and being oscillatable to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position, said spring arm being effective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

- 11. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so. hinged on said supporting struc-'- ture that when said door structure'is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship,

supporting structure therefor wherein saiddoor structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in itsv closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a torsion spring mounted within one of said structures adjacent the hinge edge wall thereof and having an oscillatory arm effective upon the other of said structures in the region of the hinge edge wall thereof, said spring arm being oscillatable to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position and said spring arm being effective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

13. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a torsion spring carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls an open position, at least a part oi. the e a 7s of the door structure being located between the general planes of the inner and outer side walls of said structures and the centerof oscillation of said spring arm being located substantially on such part of the hinge axis of said door structure.

14. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that the hinge axis of said door structure is partly inside and partly outside the general plane of the outer side walls of said structures and wherein the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship when said door structure is in closed position, a torsion spring carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, said spring having an oscillatory arm effective upon the other of said structures in the region of its hinge edge wall, said spring arm being oscillatable to an operative position during the movement of the door structureto its closed position and said spring arm being effective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position, the center of oscillation of said spring arm being located substantially on the aforesaid inside part of the hinge axis of the door structure.

15. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, spring means carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, said spring means being effective upon the other of said structures in the region of the hinge edge wall thereof and said spring means being put in the desired loaded condition during the movement of the door structure to its closed position, the

supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, spring means carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, said spring means being effective upon the other of said structures in the region of the hinge edge wall thereof and remaining at all times in closely contiguous relationship with such last mentioned edge wall, the movement of the door structure to its closed position effecting the desired loading of said spring means and the construction and arrangement of said spring means being such that when it is in its aforesaid loaded condition it is effective to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to its fully open position.

17. In combination with a door structure and l a supporting structure therefor wherein said dooi' structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said and being oscillatable to an operative position during the movement of the door structure to its closed position, said spring arm being effective when in such operative position to swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

18. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structureis in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a spring controlled part carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, said spring controlled part being engageable with a part of the other of said structures in the region of the hinge edge wall thereof, the engagement of said parts being effected through rollable means with which one of said parts is provided and said spring controlled part being effective to swing said door structure, if closed and unlatched, to an open position.

19. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a spring controlled part carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side Walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, said spring controlled part being engageable with a projecting part carried by the other of said structures, said projecting part having a substantially fixed projecting relationship with respect to the structure by which it is carried, and said spring controlled part being effective on said projecting part to swing said door structure, if closed and unlatched, to an open position. a

20. In combination with a door structure and a supporting structure therefor wherein said door structure is so hinged on said supporting structure that when said door structure is in its closed position the transverse hinge edge walls of said structures are in generally abutting relationship, a spring controlled part carried by one of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls and adjacent its hinge edge wall, said spring controlled part being e'ngageable with a projecting part carried by the other of said struc- 

